Open
World Conference of Workers
In Defense of Trade Union Independence & Democratic Rights
INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST ILO COMPLAINT VS. VENEZUELA AND UNT
May 25, 2005
PRESENTATION
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
A sharp blow was dealt to the Venezuelan labor movement and Chavez
government on April 20-22, 2005 at the 16th Congress of the ORIT, held in
Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. ORIT is the continental section in the
Americas of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).
As you may know, the Bush administration is dead-set on getting the
international labor movement to condemn the Chavez government for alleged
"violations of trade union rights" in Venezuela. They also
allege the newly formed independent trade union federation, the National
Workers Union (UNT), is not legitimate. They claim, falsely, that it does
not represent the Venezuelan labor movement.
Thanks to the efforts of trade unionists around the world who endorsed the
broad-based campaign of the International Liaison Committee (ILC), the
attempt to condemn the Chavez government via the ILO Complaint filed
jointly by the bosses´ association Fedecamaras and the scab CTV union
federation did not succeed at the March 8-22, 2005 meeting of the ILO in
Geneva. The Bush administration -- supported, alas, by the AFL-CIO´s
Solidarity Center -- did not have the votes to condemn the Venezuelan
government.
While the Fedecamaras/CTV complaint was not defeated, as we would have
liked, it was pushed back and referred to the November 2005 session of the
International Labor Bureau of the ILO. While we had not won the war, we
had won an important victory. [See joint UNT-ILC Communiqué below.]
The UNT as well as the Venezuelan government thanked the ILC for its
support in this effort. They realize, as we do, that the U.S. government
wants to set the stage for a direct military intervention in Venezuela --
and that one key piece for this is to secure a condemnation of the
Venezuelan government for alleged "violations of labor rights."
This would permit Bush, the No. 1 warmaker and unionbuster in the world,
to claim that Venezuela is a "rogue state" that must be removed
by force.
No sooner had we won an important battle at the ILO, however, the
AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center regrouped and led the charge at the 16th
Congress of ORIT. There, unfortunately, the Fedecamaras/CTV complaint was
endorsed by a majority of the unions gathered in Brasilia.
Resolution No. 9, which was adopted by the ORIT delegates, states the
following under Point 6:
"The Congress of CIOSL/ORIT reaffirms its preoccupation with the
Complaint against the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
insofar as its practices violate trade union freedoms, and the Congress
deplores the fact that the commitments made by said country in relation to
the principles and practice of the ILO have not been met."
We are sending you below a report by Julio Turra on this issue and the
debate it provoked within the Brazilian CUT trade union federation, whose
representative at the ORIT meeting, Rafael Freire, voted for the
resolution supporting the Fedecamaras/CTV Complaint, in violation of the
CUT's stance opposing the Complaint.
At its recent expanded National leadership meeting on May 10-13, the CUT
reaffirmed its opposition to the ILO Complaint against Venezuela and is
now urging unions across the continent to do the same.
Clearly, this is a matter we have to move on quickly in the United States.
More than ever, it is urgent for trade unions locals, central labor
councils, state federations and national unions to urge the national
AFL-CIO leadership to drop its support for this ILO Complaint.
We also must urge the AFL-CIO to endorse the resolution adopted in June
2004 by the convention of the California Federation of Labor calling for
U.S. Hands Off Venezuela. The resolution also calls upon the AFL-CIO to
refuse the multi-millions of dollars given to the Solidarity Center by the
State Department through the National Endowment of Democracy (NED) to
impose the corporate policies of the U.S. government in attacking workers,
their trade unions and the governments they defend.
At the end of July, the national AFL-CIO convention will take place in
Chicago. It is important that a resolution on this question of defense of
Venezuela's sovereignty can make it to the convention floor for a vote.
Please join us in promoting this effort far and wide in the U.S. trade
union movement.
In solidarity,
Alan Benjamin and Alan Benjamin
Co-Coordinators,
OWC Continuations Committee
**********
(reprinted from ILC Newsletter No. 133)
VENEZUELA
The CUT Reaffirms its Support to the National Workers Union (UNT) of
Venezuela
On May 10-13 there took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the eleventh
national plenary assembly of the CUT, with 550 delegates from all over
Brazil. Other than the national congress, it is the most important
decision-making body of the union.
At this assembly of the CUT there was a debate on Venezuela, following the
resolution adopted at the sixteenth Congress of the ORIT (the continental
branch in the Americas of the ICFTU), which took place recently in
Brasilia, from April 20 to April 22.
At that congress, the representative of the CUT, Rafael Freire,
collaborated on and approved a resolution of support to the Complaint
submitted to the ILO by Fedecamaras, the Venezuelan bosses' organization,
and the CTV. [Rafael Freire is a member of the Socialist Democracy (DS)
current of the Workers Party, a current to which the Agrarian Reform
Minister Miguel Rossetto also belongs. - Ed.]
The Complaint was officially registered against the Venezuelan government,
but in reality it would deny Venezuelan workers the right to freely
organize unions of their choice.
This vote by a CUT leader for a proposal attacking the interests of a
neighboring people constituted a flagrant violation of the position
adopted only a few months earlier by the highest body of the CUT, its
National Executive Board, which had publicly and firmly rejected the
Complaint of Fedecamaras. This break with his mandate, came at a moment
when Condoleezza Rice, in her tour of Brazil and Latin America, multiplied
her threats against Venezuela.
In a letter addressed to the ILC, Julio Turra, summarizes the debates and
conclusions of the plenary assembly of the CUT on this subject. See the
letter below. - ILC Ed.
----------
LETTER FROM JULIO TURRA
On the eve of the conference of trade unionists that the ILC organizes
each year during the month of June in Geneva on the occasion of the
International Labor Conference of the ILO, I send you the following
information, which is key to re-igniting the campaign in defense of
Venezuela and the UNT against the provocations of the allies of the Bush
government.
The first day of debates in the plenary assembly of the CUT, the morning
of May 11, an open letter was distributed to the delegates with the title
"The Place of the CUT is at the side of the workers and people of
Venezuela!" It explains:
'The CUT cannot turn its back on the workers and people of Venezuela and
their organizations, which are fighting the policies of Bush! During the
recent visit to Brazil by Condoleezza Rice, U.S. imperialism's goal of
isolating the Chavez government was reaffirmed, paving the way for attacks
against the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people.
"The CUT must reaffirm, in its national plenary assembly, its support
to the workers and peoples of Venezuela and to their government in the
face of the threat of an intervention by imperialism; this requires
reaffirming the CUT's policy against supporting any and all attempts to
condemn Venezuela in the international institutions for supposed attacks
on union rights.
"These attacks coming from Fedecamaras and the CTV have the goal of
covering up their active role, in alliance with the U.S. government, in
the attempts to destabilize the Chavez government.
"The position of our representatives in the international union
forums and in the ORIT must be to reject the Complaints of the Venezuelan
bosses and their allies in the CTV!"
This resolution received the support of more than 50 delegates. A short
resolution was then put forward by the International Relations Secretariat
of the CUT to reaffirm the position of the National Executive of the CUT
rejecting the Fedecamaras' Complaint against the Venezuelan government.
Three amendments were presented, all of which were accepted unanimously
(see below).
This resolution shows that the battle against Fedecamaras' attempts to
register a complaint vis-à-vis union rights in Venezuela (at the meeting
of the administrative council of the ILO in November 2005) must be
continued.
At the conference of the ILC on June 12, in Geneva, at which I will be
present, we will certainly have the opportunity to re-launch this
campaign, side by side with the comrades from the UNT, who will find an
even greater echo amongst the unionists and unions throughout the
world."
signed, Julio Turra,
Member of the National Executive Committee of the United Workers Central
(CUT)
------------
EXCERPTS from the motion adopted unanimously by the plenary assembly of
the CUT- Sao Paulo, May 12, 2005
"Rejection of the Complaints registered by Fedecamaras and the
CTV"
"The plenary assembly of the CUT declares itself for:
"The full-out rejection of any intervention on the part of the U.S.
government against the inalienable sovereignty of our peoples to choose
the paths that they wish to follow.
"The defense of union rights in the Venezuelan political process.
(...)
"The rejection of the Complaints recently presented by Fedecamaras
and the CTV to the ILO.
The CUT is following with interest the growth of the new union federation
the UNT, which is regrouping a wide range of Venezuelan union traditions.
The plenary assembly mandates the National Executive Committee to develop
an exchange and solidarity program with this federation and all of the
union sectors that express a democratic position in Venezuela."
**********
Background Articles
ILO COMPLAINT POSTPONED
Joint Communiqué Issued by the National Union of Workers of Venezuela
(UNT) and the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples (ILC)
Geneva, Switzerland -- March 23, 2005
Earlier today -- Wednesday, March 23 -- the Governing Body of the
International Labor Organization (ILO) examined the Complaint issued by
FEDECAMARAS, the employers' association of Venezuela, that sought to
condemn the Venezuelan government for alleged violations of labor rights.
The ILO Governing Body concluded it could not reach an opinion on this
Complaint given that all members of the Employers' Group (IOE) were at the
same time signatories to the Complaint and members of the Committee on
Trade Union Freedoms, and thus could not be both accusers and judges.
The ILO Governing Body has decided to postpone the examination of this
Complaint until its session of November 2005, following the meeting of the
Committee on Trade Union Freedoms that will take place at the yearly
International Labor Conference of the ILO in June 2005, with a newly
elected group of members.
The UNT and ILC are pleased to announce the declaration presented to the
ILO's Governing Body by the Workers' Group of Latin America and the
Caribbean (GRULAC), which states in part:
"The ILO Workers' Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC)
takes note of the fact that the government of the Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela has responded in a timely and ample way, with all the facts in
hand, to the charges leveled against it. The reply and the facts
demonstrate that the FEDECAMARAS Complaint against Venezuela has no merit.
...
"Therefore, given the fact that this point has been debated
sufficiently, the ILO Governing Board should declare that the Complaint is
groundless and does not merit the creation of a Commission of Inquiry. The
Complaint, in fact, should simply be closed and filed."
*******************
OPEN LETTER TO THE ILO WORKERS' GROUP
We, the undersigned leaders of the National Union of Workers of
Venezuela (UNT), issue this appeal to the trade unions around the world
that are represented in the Workers' Group of the International Labor
Organization (ILO), as well as to all our sisters and brothers who are
championing the trade union battles in defense of workers' rights.
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
We in Venezuela have been part of the effort by the working class to
create a trade union federation that is built from the bottom up by the
rank and file and that is rooted in the principles of class independence,
trade union democracy and full autonomy in relation to the State and all
political parties. This effort -- which in April 2003 brought unionists
from different sectors and trade union currents together to create the UNT
-- is part and parcel of the struggle of our people in defense of their
national sovereignty.
Today, the UNT represents the majority of the organized workforce in
Venezuela. Its creation in 2003 has given a huge impetus to the drive to
organize trade unions across our country. The rate of trade union
affiliation has increased from 11% in 2001 to 23% in 2004. The UNT also
has been present in the last two International Labor Conferences of the
ILO in June 2003 and June 2004.
But these recent years also have seen FEDECAMARAS, the employers'
association of Venezuela, join forces with the Confederation of Venezuelan
Workers (CTV) to present a Complaint to the ILO's Committee on Freedom of
Association alleging that the Venezuelan government has violated Trade
Union Freedoms and the Right to Strike.
The joint Complaint by FEDECAMARAS and the CTV is highly unusual, as trade
unions are generally the ones filing ILO Complaints against the employers
and seeking support from the ILO Workers' Group against all violations of
trade union rights, including the right to strike. It is unprecedented, as
well, on account of the convergence of interests between FEDECAMARAS and
the CTV.
Such a Complaint can be understood only in the context of the unfolding
political situation in Venezuela, in which FEDECAMARAS and the top
leadership of the CTV participated directly in the attempted military coup
of April 2002, together with the opposition political parties and with the
encouragement of the U.S. Embassy. The coup -- which established a
"government" headed by Pedro Carmona, then president of
FEDECAMARAS -- was foiled after just two days by the mass mobilizations of
the Venezuelan workers and people.
Later, in December 2002 and January 2003, FEDECAMARAS -- together with the
same leaders of the CTV -- organized an employer lockout/work stoppage
that was political in nature and that sought to bring down the government
through the sabotage of the country's main source of income: the oil
industry. In both the attempted coup and the bosses' lockout/work
stoppage, the CTV leadership took actions that were repudiated by the
overwhelming majority of the workers of Venezuela. At no time, in fact,
were the workers consulted by the CTV leadership about the work stoppage
in the oil industry. Quite the contrary, upon learning of this action by
the CTV leadership, the workers mobilized massively to occupy the oil rigs
and refineries to ensure the resumption of oil production.
These undeniable facts were reported in detail by 35 leaders of the UNT to
the Contact Mission of the ILO that traveled to Venezuela in October 2004.
It is not new, nor is it unexpected, that employers should resort to
lockouts against the workers to promote their interests. Many of you
undoubtedly have witnessed such bosses' lockouts in your countries. It is
less frequent for the employers to resort to military coups, but, alas,
such actions are not unprecedented. But isn't it an insult to our
intelligence to try to have us believe that employer lockouts and military
coups can somehow be aimed at defending democracy and trade union rights?
Do they think we're fools who cannot see through their hypocrisy?
In June 2004, FEDECAMARAS -- with the full support of the International
Organization of Employers (IOE) and representatives from bosses'
organizations in 22 countries, including the United States, all of them
notorious for their anti-union activities -- invoked Article 26 of the ILO
Constitution and proposed that a Commission of Inquiry be established in
relation to alleged violations of Trade Union Freedoms in Venezuela.
The March 8-24, 2005 meeting of the Governing Body of the ILO is scheduled
to take a vote on this request by FEDECAMARAS. It is worth noting that
while this baseless Complaint against the Venezuelan government moves
through the ILO system, the government of Colombia has not been subjected
to any sanctions or pressures by the ILO -- even when the ILO itself
registered at the beginning of 2004 that 186 trade unionists had been
assassinated for their union activity in that country, a number that now
surpasses the 200 mark.
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
The Venezuelan government today has wide popular support to advance its
Agrarian Reform program and, with the aim of guaranteeing jobs and wages,
to take over factories abandoned or bankrupted by their employers. Yet at
this very moment, incidents are being staged to create a diplomatic
conflict between Venezuela and Colombia. More ominous still, U.S.
President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have
issued public warnings against the alleged "negative" and
"destabilizing" role of Venezuela in the region.
Anyone familiar with the international policies implemented by the Bush
administration in the recent period can understand full well that these
are not simply words; they are a direct threat to Venezuela. Bush and Rice
invoke the concept of "democracy" -- but if one looks at what is
going on in Iraq today, one can see what they mean by
"democracy."
Is it possible not to see a link between these political developments and
the stance taken by FEDECAMARAS at the ILO?
Regardless of what one's opinions may be about the Venezuelan government
and its policies, it's a fact that it's a government that received the
support of more than 60% of the people in the August 15, 2004 recall
referendum, thereby dealing a blow to the effort by FEDECAMARAS and the
top officials of the CTV to oust the Chávez government. The election
results were ratified, in fact, by the Organization of American States
(OAS) and the Carter Center, two bodies that cannot be accused of
harboring any sympathies for the Venezuelan government.
It is also an undeniable fact that the partisans of the current Venezuelan
government obtained the overwhelming support of the people in the state
and regional elections held in October 2004.
From our vantage point as the UNT, genuine democracy means respecting the
sovereign will of people to determine their own fate. And we wish to
reiterate this point: Venezuela's right to self-determination must be
respected and upheld independent of whatever one may think about the
current government of Venezuela. It is not up to the U.S. government to
decide in the place of the Venezuelan people what is "positive"
or "negative" for Venezuela.
It is totally understandable that the representatives of the employers in
the ILO should form a common front with FEDECAMARAS in support of this
Complaint. Likewise, it is not surprising that governments, particularly
that of Bush in the United States, should follow suit. But in no way can
the representatives of the workers' organizations in the ILO support this
attack upon our sovereignty and our independent trade union organizations.
Is it not obvious that allowing the Commission of Inquiry to be approved
-- as FEDECAMARAS demands -- would, in fact, be tantamount to trampling
upon our trade union freedoms and the very sovereignty of our country?
Only we, the workers of Venezuela, can and must decide what kind of trade
union organizations we should build, in the framework of the principles of
Trade Union Freedom.
We issue this urgent appeal to all trade union organizations the world
over. We call upon one and all to reject the proposal by FEDECAMARAS and
its cohorts to sanction Venezuela and to conduct an ILO Commission of
Inquiry. Such an action is not called for, nor does it correspond to the
real situation of trade union freedoms in Venezuela, which is a country
that has ratified ILO Conventions 87 and 98.
For our part, as trade union officers who are committed to the rank and
file, we have nothing to hide. That is why we are appending to this Open
Letter a Memorandum that responds to the specific charges contained in the
Complaint filed by FEDECAMARAS and the CTV.
We invite trade unions from all around the world to come to Venezuela to
see for yourselves the reality of our country, where even the CTV -- which
participated directly in the attempted coup of April 2002 and the
lockout/work stoppage of December 2002-January 2003, enjoys full trade
union freedoms.
We also invite representatives of the international trade union movement
to attend the upcoming National Congress of the UNT. This will permit you
to learn firsthand from the workers about the real situation of the trade
unions in Venezuela.
To conclude, we call upon all trade union organizations and officers to
reject the provocation by FEDECAMARAS and its allies to establish an ILO
Commission of Inquiry for Venezuela. We call upon you to add your names in
support of this Open Letter to the ILO Workers' Group.
- In defense of the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people!
- In defense of true Trade Union Freedoms!
In solidarity,
signed by following National Coordinators of the UNT:
Orlando Chirino, Marcela Máspero, Stalin Pérez Borges and Rubén Linares